Insurance for Aerial Work

UAVS is concerned that many UAV operations carried out legally or more often illegally without exemption from the CAA or other regulatory body have been performed without the appropriate third party liability insurance in place.

EC Regulation 785/2004 came into force on 30th April 2005 requiring most operators of aircraft, irrespective of the purposes for which they fly, to hold adequate levels of insurance in order to meet their liabilities in the event of an accident.

If you are a UAV or UAS operator, especially in the UK, you will not be covered by your standard Employer's Liability Insurance for such Aerial Work.  If you have General Aviation Insurance as you own and/or operate manned aircraft, you may not necessarily be covered for UAV operations.  Please examine your policy conditions closely.

UAVS recommends that any UAV or UAS operator engaged in Aerial Work secures a specific insurance policy for the aerial work to be undertaken.  Particular attention should be paid to operations such as:

• experimental flying of a non-certified UAV operating in restricted or segregated airspace
• the weight category of the UAV, its certification level, its mode of operation, its flight profile, its safety systems, its pilot's experience and its area of operation
• transportation of a UAV by other means, or
• aerial work in controlled airspace or restricted airspace.

The UK insurance industry is beginning to understand the potential for UAV aerial work in the future but until a history of reliability and succesful operations has been built up, insurance premiums are likely to be high.  These high premiums are however not an excuse to being properly insured.